Glimpse into the myriad aspects (25)
Zhao Huai-ren, hiding in the shadows, watched in astonishment as the two men who had just been exchanging words lay dead on the ground. The thick stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, and Zhao Huai-ren instinctively covered his mouth and nose, his eyes widening as he tried to discern who had killed them.
No sooner had he peeked out than a sharp killing intent swept over him, prompting him to immediately draw his sword. The instant the swords clashed, Zhao Huai-ren's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Yun Yanqiu?!"
The figure paused, revealing its true form in the moonlight. Its brows were cold and its expression puzzled: "Zhao Huai Ren? What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you that too!" Zhao Huai-ren shouted, sheathing his sword. "What are you doing here?"
Yun Yanqiu didn't reply, but instead scrutinized him with a stern gaze: "Why weren't you with my sister?"
"I asked Xiao Qi to set up a formation at home, so it's very safe."
Yun Yanqiu remained noncommittal, coldly flicked his sleeves, and turned his back.
"Hey, where are you going?" Zhao Huai-ren quickly followed, seeing this. "There's a den of demons nearby!"
Yun Yanqiu paused, "Where did you know that?"
“A child told me that he had just escaped from there.”
Yun Yanqiu narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "You don't need to go."
"Why don't you need to go? How can I feel at ease letting you go alone?" Zhao Huai-ren said righteously, "If A-Yu finds out, she'll definitely give me a good scolding!"
"Tsk, why don't you just not tell her? Are you afraid of her?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I can't lie to her. We're going together!" He gripped Yun Yanqiu's shoulders tightly, his strength like that of an ox, giving her no chance to break free.
Yun Yanqiu sighed helplessly and led Zhao Huai Ren to the entrance of a cave. The cave entrance was wide open, and the stench emanating from it was mixed with a hint of blood, making one want to vomit.
Before Zhao Huai-ren could recover from the stench, Yun Yan-qiu walked straight into the cave. The vast cave was eerily quiet, and the further they went, the stronger the foul odor became. Zhao Huai-ren followed behind Yun Yan-qiu, completely unsure of himself. He knew little about this place, and venturing in so rashly was truly dangerous. But Yun Yan-qiu's steps were decisive, as if he were quite familiar with the surroundings.
The two wandered through winding paths, but still couldn't find even a single person. Yun Yanqiu's steps grew heavy, and Zhao Huai'ren's heart tightened as well. They passed through a deep corridor and suddenly saw a faint red light emerging from the cave entrance ahead. Immediately afterward, a shrill scream rang out, and the red light cast a distorted shadow on the stone ground in front of them. In an instant, the shadow fell back into darkness with a muffled thud.
“One more…” came a somber murmur from inside the cave, calm yet tinged with stubbornness, “You will do.”
"Me?!" The person whose name was called couldn't believe it. "I was sent by the sect leader, and you dare to touch me!" His voice trembled slightly, but he still tried to remain calm: "Don't think you're so great just because you're a protector. I eliminated Qin Wenshuang for the sect leader. I'm his confidant!"
Upon hearing this, Yun Yanqiu couldn't help but clench his fists. If Zhao Huai Ren hadn't been pressing down on his shoulder, he might have rushed up and killed this man.
"Sigh—" Another irritated sigh drifted out from the cave, "Do you really think the sect leader sent you here to protect you from that sword cultivator?"
"What do you mean?"
"Never mind." The protector didn't answer, but suddenly paced towards the target, his gaze as if looking at a dead object. "A self-righteous fellow like you is best used as nourishment."
"What are you doing? The cult leader won't forgive you if he finds out! You—" His panicked voice trailed off, and before he could even let out a scream, he was thrown into the blood pool before him. The pool bubbled and bubbled, as if burping contentedly. The protector, watching the ripples on the surface, remained unfazed: "What's going on today? We let one 'piece' escape first, and now we've let a stranger in… I should have known better than to feed those last few; the rest are all useless."
As they spoke, Yun Yanqiu emerged from the shadows of the cave entrance. He drew his sword and questioned the guardian on the opposite bank of the blood pool, "Where is Lu Jiuzhong hiding?"
The protector slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the two men, and he couldn't help but sneer: "You two, you think you're worthy?"
Without another word, Yun Yanqiu lightly touched the ground with his toes, leaped up with his sword, and his figure flashed across the crimson water like lightning. He swung his sword, drawing a silver streak, aiming straight for the protector's throat. The protector neither dodged nor evaded; instead, three black ropes suddenly flew out from his sleeve, coiling around Yun Yanqiu's wrists like venomous snakes.
"Watch out!" Zhao Huai-ren shouted from behind.
With a flash of sword light, the black rope snapped in two. Yun Yanqiu somersaulted in mid-air, his boots scraping the surface of the blood pool, sending up a string of blood droplets. The protector stood there, motionless, emitting a sinister laugh. Suddenly, the blood pool boiled, and seven or eight pale, corpse puppets burst from the water, their rotting fingers vying to grab at Yun Yanqiu's robes.
Yun Yanqiu's swordplay suddenly changed, the green blade drawing a full moon in front of him. The first three corpse puppets that pounced were severed at the waist, their rotting flesh falling back into the pool, splashing up blood waves over ten feet high. One headless corpse puppet was still relentless, its claws reaching for its back. Without turning its head, Yun Yanqiu swung his sword backhand, piercing its chest. The sword energy erupted, blasting the corpse puppet into a rain of blood.
As he drew ever closer, the protector's expression finally changed. He hastily retreated several steps and raised his hand to cast a spell. But the blade had already arrived, and the protector felt a chill in his throat. Looking down, he saw the half-sword tip protruding from his chest, his gaze filled with astonishment.
"You..." He opened his mouth, and blood gushed out.
Yun Yanqiu was about to draw his sword when he noticed a sudden surge of light flowing within the dark red blood. His pupils constricted, and he immediately summoned several talismans in an attempt to stop the man from self-destructing. Unfortunately, it was too late. The spiritual energy rapidly expanded, blasting the protector's body to smithereens. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, and the booming sound of the exploding air filled his ears. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his collar, and the next moment, a giant sword appeared in front of him.
Zhao Huai Ren stepped forward, using his greatsword to shield the two men, but the immense impact still slammed them heavily against the stone wall. Pain instantly engulfed their bodies. Yun Yanqiu, disregarding everything else, struggled to her feet and stumbled towards the blood pool.
"Hey, are you crazy?!" Zhao Huai-ren tried to step forward to stop him, but the pain surging in his abdomen and back held him firmly in place. He could only shout, "Yun Yanqiu, there's definitely poison in that pool!"
He shouted for a long time, but for some reason, Yun Yanqiu followed him as if he were possessed and rushed into the pool.
"This is suicidal!" Zhao Huai Ren gritted his teeth, straining to prop himself up. He was in excruciating pain, cold sweat pouring down his face, and he watched Yun Yanqiu getting closer and closer to the pool with extreme anxiety. Just then, several spiritual swords entered his sight, plunging into the blood pool before Yun Yanqiu could. They formed a sword array, releasing a massive amount of spiritual energy that quickly coalesced into a net-like protective barrier.
Yun Yanqiu stared at the sword formation, slightly stunned, when he heard a clear bird's chirp. The two turned their heads at the same time, and a round, white sparrow fluttered its wings and flew into the cave. Behind it, Li Zhoubai, dressed in white robes, appeared before them.
"Master!" Yun Yanqiu cried out anxiously as soon as she saw him, "The guy who killed Master's wife is in this pool!"
Li Zhoubai remained silent, his gaze following the direction his disciple pointed. The once boiling blood pool was now deathly still under the suppression of the sword formation. He withdrew his gaze, then glanced at the two disheveled figures on the ground, and calmly said, "Heal your wounds first."
After saying that, he took out a pill, gave one to the blue-white sparrow to carry away, and then turned and walked towards Zhao Huai Ren.
"Senior Li..." Zhao Huai Ren greeted him weakly. The senior, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, nodded in response, seemingly even colder than usual. He expressionlessly treated Zhao Huai Ren's wounds, then turned and went to the blood pool to check on Yun Yan Qiu's condition. Seeing that both of them were alright, Li Zhou Bai beckoned to the little bird, instructing it to carry the magical artifact in its hand to the other side of the blood pool.
Zhao Huai Ren held his breath, staring intently at the scene before him. A faint blue light emanated from Li Zhoubai's fingertips, seeping into the blood pool like flowing water, stirring the once-calm water once more. The surface trembled violently, rippling with fine waves. A strange blood mist gradually rose from the pool, twisting into countless blurry human figures. These figures hovered above the blood pool, their mouths agape but unable to utter a sound. Their faces were contorted, silently howling as they swirled and danced under the pull of the array.
"What are they doing?" Zhao Huai-ren's heart tightened involuntarily, and he asked Yun Yanqiu in a low voice.
"The Soul-Searching Array can reveal the memories of the deceased before their death," Yun Yanqiu said, reaching out to protect the Azure-White Sparrow in her hand, afraid that the dense demonic energy here would harm it.
Zhao Huai Ren's eyes darted around, and he instantly understood: "Senior, are you trying to find the Puppet Sect's lair from them?"
Yun Yanqiu remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement. He frowned, looking at his master with worry. This soul-searching array consumed far too much spiritual energy, and the memories in the blood pool were intricate and complex. Yun Yanqiu was worried that Li Zhoubai would run out of spiritual energy before finding any clues.
Li Zhoubai remained silent, but fine beads of sweat had already formed on his forehead. This blood pool held countless corpse puppets, their fragmented memories churning within the blood mist—some were the final struggles before death, others the endless despair of imprisonment, and occasionally a few heartwarming scenes would surface. But all of it vanished in an instant, leaving no time for sorrow, only shock.
Zhao Huai-ren knew that these demonic sects were always cruel, but the Puppet Sect's actions still greatly exceeded his expectations. A burning rage raged within him; he wished he could rush to the Puppet Sect's lair right now and wipe them all out.
Suddenly, all the blood mist contracted and condensed, falling into the blood pool like raindrops, leaving only slightly rippling waves.
Li Zhoubai opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing in them: "It's the Cliff of Separation from Souls."
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